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posted on 12/30/2010|Color Grading
Colorist Tip #12 – Know Sources
Practice creating looks with footage in different codecs from different cameras to understand how each responds to manipulation. Every camera has a different latitude, different contrast curve, different color response. To compound the possibilities, the codecs that the footage can be digitized as vary just as wildly. The RED camera...
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posted on 12/29/2010|Color Grading
Colorist Tip #11 – Practicing Looks
Another use for saving images is to practice exactly recreating that look with your own footage, using the still as reference. Try it on various types of footage, from various cameras, with various white-balances to really understand the look. Pick and image from your folder of looks you like, and...
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posted on 12/28/2010|Color Grading
Colorist Tip #10 – Save Examples
Keep a folder of screenshots from movies, commercials, etc. with looks that you like, and save them for use as inspiration and reference. If you can, even load them in your still-store to use as a reference in building a look. Keeping a running folder on your computer of images that...
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posted on 12/27/2010|Color Grading
Colorist Tip #9 – Problem Shots
When developing a look, you have to consider what your problem shots can handle without artifacting, or getting too noisy or grainy. If your weak shots begin to show artifacting or noise under the look, it's too aggressive; try something else. Your look for a scene has to fit every...
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posted on 12/25/2010|Color Grading
Colorist Tip #8 – Balance Contrast
When balancing, bring down the whites & lift the blacks to see if you have any more dynmaic range in the shot. It may look just a little low contrast, but it gives you some wiggle room when you stretch the contrast in secondaries. Some codecs store a little extra...
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